Once You Try Gordon Ramsay's Mashed Potato Tip You'll Never Go Back

When it comes to cooking mashed potatoes, there are a ton of tips out there. Some say that sour cream is the secret ingredient you need to add to mashed potatoes for a perfect tangy finish, while others say that using a ricer instead of a potato masher is actually the way to get a perfectly creamy result. Chef, restaurateur, and general culinary mastermind Gordon Ramsay takes a different approach, however. His key to perfect mashed potatoes: using reduced, seasoned cream in place of milk. 

He doesn't just add cream straight-up to cooked potatoes. Instead, he takes the time to heat and season the cream while the potatoes are cooking, and reduces it for a few minutes. You can certainly season your heavy cream to suit your own tastes, or you can use Ramsay's additions — he loads up the saucepan with nutmeg, bay leaves, garlic, salt, and pepper. When it comes to seasoning, some recommend seasoning the water you're cooking your mashed potatoes in with a sprig of rosemary or thyme as well. But you can certainly do this Ramsay style and add some sprigs of herbs to your cream as it heats (just be sure to follow Ramsay's advice and pass your seasoned cream through a strainer before you add it to your mashed potatoes).

Using seasoned cream instead of milk and butter isn't the only way you can make chef-level mashed potatoes at home. Getting it right starts with the basics. You'll want to start your potatoes in cold water, as this makes them more likely to cook evenly (and less likely to become a waterlogged mess). Chopping them into cubes before you put them into the water can help to even out the cooking process. Add a ton of salt to the water when you add your potatoes so you can start the seasoning process early.

Once your potatoes are cooked (and seasoned by absorbing some of the salt from the water during the cooking process), Gordon Ramsay recommends putting your potatoes through a potato ricer while they're still steaming hot to create a creamy end texture. Another note: he doesn't forgo butter altogether in his mashed potatoes. He adds a bit at the end for a final touch of richness that pairs well with the seasoned cream. No matter what other tips you follow for creating great mashed potatoes, remember — using seasoned cream instead of milk adds fat and a depth of flavor that's hard to beat.